


By Your Side

by likethenight



Series: It's Always Been You [3]
Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Angst, Caring, Established Relationship, Found Family, Friendship, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Mentions of Death, Rare Characters, Rare Pairings, Sibling Incest, Trauma, Twincest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:53:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28406562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likethenight/pseuds/likethenight
Summary: Some hundred or so years after they first became friends, Elladan and Elrohir arrive in Lothlórien bearing the news of their mother's kidnapping and torture by Orcs, and ask Rúmil, Orophin and Haldir to help them escort Arwen home to Imladris.Sequel toA River Loves A Stone.
Relationships: Elladan/Elrohir (Tolkien), Haldir of Lothlórien & Orophin & Rúmil of Lothlórien, Orophin/Rúmil of Lothlórien
Series: It's Always Been You [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1838758
Comments: 14
Kudos: 4





	1. Terrible News

**Author's Note:**

> Please note the relationship and other tags on this story and proceed with caution. The rating is E partly to cover a small amount of smut, and partly because of the subject matter and the relationships.
> 
> I've had this sitting around since the summer, and I thought it was probably about time I got on and posted it, not least because I'm almost at 400k words posted here since June 2020 and I'd like to get over that line before the end of the year! I haven't quite finished it (it needs another chapter or two) but I'm determined to get it done - and then to get part 3 finished, which deals with the lead-up to the War of the Ring and the Fellowship's quest (including a certain amount of fix-it-ing relating to the Battle of Helm's Deep...). 
> 
> Niphredil, the original character mentioned in the tags, is Arwen's companion; she was found by the twins as a baby and brought up more or less as a younger sister to the three of them.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elladan and Elrohir arrive in Lothlórien bearing terrible news.

Rúmil was at the archery butts practising with his longbow when he heard a commotion behind him and turned just in time to see Niphredil skidding round the corner, her hair in disarray and her skirts hitched up to aid her running. 

“Rúmil! Thank the Valar I have found you, you must come quickly! Something terrible has happened!” the little elleth gasped out, and Rúmil immediately tensed. There had been a growing sense of worry in Lothlórien over the last week or so, for Lady Celebrían had been due to arrive from Imladris but so far her party had not been seen. Arwen had not gone with her on this visit, choosing instead to stay behind in Lothlórien, and she had been becoming more strained and frantic as each day passed with no news of her mother. 

Now Rúmil’s blood ran cold within him as he began to realise the full import of Niphredil’s words. “What has happened, pen-neth?” he asked her, swiftly retrieving his arrows from the target and stowing them back in his quiver, grasping his longbow. “Tell me while we walk.”

Arwen’s maiden had to pull in a hitching breath before she could speak. “It is unspeakable! Elladan and Elrohir are here, they have come to fetch my lady and take her back to Imladris, and they want you and your brothers to go with them, and - “

“Slow down, Niphredil,” said Rúmil, “and start from the beginning. Why are Elladan and Elrohir here? Has something happened to the Lady Celebrían and her escort?”

Niphredil let out a sob. “They were waylaid by Orcs,” she gasped out, “and the Galadhrim were all killed, and Lady Celebrían was taken to the Orcs’ stronghold and they - ai, Valar, I cannot say it!” She broke down then, and Rúmil drew her into a hug while she calmed herself. 

“Hush, pen-neth,” he murmured, although he was badly shaken himself at the news of the deaths of his comrades. He had not known any of them well, but that made little difference. 

Eventually Niphredil gained control of her weeping and pulled back, gulping and dashing at her eyes with the back of her hand as she began to hurry towards the palace again, Rúmil keeping pace beside her. “The twins went to look for her when they did not receive word that she had arrived safely, and they found her and took her back to Lord Elrond in Imladris. She is sorely wounded, poisoned, and they say -" she broke off, swallowing hard as they climbed the palace steps, “- they say that even with Lord Elrond’s great skill at healing, she may not live. So Arwen must go to her, and I must go with her, and the twins said -"

“We said that there were none in all of Lothlórien we would trust more than you and your brothers to ride with us and guard our sisters,” came Elladan’s voice, sounding grimmer than Rúmil had ever heard him, and Rúmil looked up to see him descending the stairs to greet them, Elrohir hard on his heels. Both twins wore expressions of terrible, cold fury, and for a moment Rúmil felt a resurgence of the fear he had felt of them, when he had first met them so long ago in Imladris.

Rúmil saluted them, hand on heart and head inclined in sorrow, and then stepped forward to wrap his arms around Elladan and then Elrohir for a brief, fierce embrace. “I am so sorry to hear of what has happened,” he said. “I know I speak for Orophin and Haldir when I say that we will gladly accompany you back to Imladris. When do we leave?”

“Tomorrow,” said Elrohir. “We arrived too late today to be able to leave and get through the pass at Caradhras before night falls, and we do not wish to traverse it after dark.”

“We wouldn’t think twice of it for ourselves,” said Elladan, “but we will not risk Arwen, or Niphredil. Not after what those foul, misbegotten creatures did to our mother.” His voice cracked, and Elrohir stepped forward to place a hand upon his shoulder.

“Later, meleth,” he murmured. “For now, Rúmil, are your brothers here in Caras Galadhon? We have not long arrived, and after we told Arwen and our grandparents what had happened, we sent Niphredil to fetch you. Can you be ready to ride for Imladris as soon as dawn breaks?”

Rúmil nodded. “I should think Haldir is in his office, and Orophin is at home, or he was when I left earlier.” A warm smile stole across his face at the thought of his beloved, despite everything. 

“Good,” said Elladan. “Bring them here, would you? We are all three of us - four -“ he corrected himself, glancing at Niphredil and then drawing her in close to him, his arm around her shoulders, “we are sorely in need of company this night.”

“Of course,” said Rúmil. “I will fetch them right away.” He saluted them, and turned away to run for the Galadhrim’s headquarters. He needed to fetch Haldir, but he also needed to pass on the news of what had happened to Lady Celebrían’s escort. They had been gone for three years or more while the Lady stayed in Imladris, and now they would never be coming home to the Golden Wood; Rúmil’s throat closed up at the horror of it.

Clattering up the stairs to Haldir’s office, in too much of a hurry for his usual grace, Rúmil knocked on the door and opened it in the same moment, almost falling into the room in his haste. Haldir was behind his desk, and Dínendal was sitting on the table, far closer than was warranted for a junior officer, but then Dínendal was far more than just a junior officer to Haldir. At any other time Rúmil would have been amused but now all he could do was to gasp out the dreadful news.

“Haldir, you must come with me, most urgently. Lady Celebrían's party is destroyed by Orcs and the Lady herself only barely clinging to life in Imladris. The twins are here, and they wish us to ride with them to escort Arwen and Niphredil to be at the Lady’s bedside.” He pulled himself together a little and nodded to his brother’s lover. “Sorry to interrupt, Dínendal. But this - this truly could not wait.”

Haldir and Dínendal exchanged looks of great concern, and Haldir nodded, the commanding officer taking over from the brother and the lover for now. “Very well. Dínendal, would you please bear this terrible news to our superiors? Rúmil, are we needed at the palace right away?”

“I have to go and fetch Orophin from home, but then - they want us, Haldir. I’ve never seen the twins look like that before. It was they who found their mother, sorely wounded and - they did not say it but from what Niphredil said, I think the Orcs did not simply wound her. They need us now, and we will ride for Imladris at first light.” Rúmil glanced between Haldir and Dínendal, deciding that he would give them a moment to collect themselves. “I’ll go and get Orophin and we will see you at the palace.”

“I will be as quick as I can,” said Haldir, and Rúmil nodded, making for the door and taking the stairs downwards two at a time. He ran for home as fast as he could, almost flinging himself up the ladder into the talan he shared with his brothers, landing on the floor with considerably more noise than usual. Orophin was stretched out on the long sofa by the window with a book over his face, although he jerked upright as he heard Rúmil arrive.

“Rúmil,” he said, “meleth, what on Arda is the matter?”

Rúmil paused to catch his breath; fit as he was, he was still not used to sprinting such distances. “Terrible news,” he said when he could speak without gasping. “The twins are here, their mother lies sorely wounded in Imladris and our comrades are dead. Orcs. The twins want to take Arwen and Niphredil back to Imladris and they want the three of us to ride with them.”

Orophin sat up, the book falling from his fingers onto the floor. “Now?” he asked, and Rúmil shook his head.

“We ride at first light,” he said, “but they want us now. They have looked after us so many times, I think that now they need us to look after them.”

“Then we must go to them,” said Orophin, leaping to his feet. “We barely need anything for the morrow, only our bows and quivers and our swords. We can stay with them through the night if need be.”

Rúmil nodded, going to fetch his sword from where it hung on his bedroom wall; he already had his longbow and quiver by virtue of having been practising his archery when the news had arrived. Orophin fetched his own weapons, and they each took up their travelling cloaks. 

“Does Haldir have his sword and his bow with him?” Orophin asked, and Rúmil had to think about it.

“I think I saw them in his office,” he said, “although truly I was mostly concerned with delivering my message and trying not to wonder what Dínendal was doing sitting so close to him atop his desk.”

Orophin let out a helpless huff of laughter. “I don’t think there is any need to wonder about that,” he said. “You and I both know. I’ll check Haldir’s room, and then we may be off.” He ducked his head into Haldir’s bedroom, returning to report that Haldir’s weapons and cloak were nowhere to be seen.

“Then we need not come back here if we don’t have to,” said Rúmil. “Come on. Haldir said he would meet us at the palace.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Sindarin translations:**  
>  (source: ambar-eldaron.com's dictionary last updated October 2008):
> 
> gwanûr-nín: my brother
> 
> Thank you for reading! If you're enjoying the story, do feel free to leave a comment and let me know - long or short or a single emoji, every single one absolutely makes my day. :)
> 
> I am [nocompromise-noregrets](https://nocompromise-noregrets.tumblr.com) over on Tumblr, by the way, so if any of you would like to come and find me there I would love to see you.


	2. Some Comfort To You All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rúmil and his brothers attempt to comfort the twins, Arwen and Niphredil in their shock and grief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arwen and the twins more or less adopted Rúmil and his brothers as family at the end of [A River Loves A Stone](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25034833), hence the terms of endearment used here.
> 
> The twins are particularly traumatised here; after rescuing their mother and taking her to Imladris they rode directly to Lothlórien, and they have not yet come to terms with what has happened. Do proceed with caution if you're likely to find that upsetting.

They hurried to the palace, and found Haldir waiting at the foot of the steps. The three brothers went up together and spoke to the Galadhrim on guard at the door, who saluted them and directed them towards the personal quarters of the family of the Lady and the Lord. Rúmil felt a little self-conscious, for they had never been up here before; they had become very close to Arwen and her brothers, but they had always met in the clearing where Arwen practised her swordcraft under the guise of dancing lessons with Rúmil and his brothers, and the twins if they happened to be the Golden Wood - or in the talan which Rúmil shared with Orophin and Haldir. 

They followed the guard’s directions up staircases and along corridors, moving from one great mallorn tree to another, and eventually found themselves outside a beautifully carved wooden door. 

“Is this the right one?” Orophin asked, and Haldir examined the carvings.

“The guard said the door with the carvings of birds upon it, did she not?”

“She did,” said Rúmil, stepping forward to knock upon the door, although it swung open almost as soon as he had done so, revealing Elrohir on the other side, looking as though he had been hollowed out from the inside.

“I am so very glad to see you, my brothers,” he said, ushering them in. “We will not be good company to you today, but we hope that you will forgive us.”

“Of course we will,” said Orophin, stepping forward to embrace Elrohir. “We only hope that our presence can be some comfort to you all.”

Rúmil slipped past them, leaving Haldir to embrace Elrohir as well, and stepped into the room. In ordinary times it would have been quite delightful, a ladies’ solar such as Rúmil had never seen, with beautiful furniture and a wonderful view out over Caras Galadhon, but now the air of grief which pervaded it robbed it of much of its charm. A cluster of sofas and chairs occupied the centre of the room, and upon one of the sofas sat Elladan, cradling Arwen’s head in his lap. Niphredil was sitting on the floor by one of the armchairs, and it was clear that she had been resting her head on Elrohir’s knees before he had got up to answer the door. Both ellith had plainly been weeping, and Elladan’s face still bore that terrible stony expression that Rúmil had marked when they had met earlier. 

Arwen pushed herself up into a sitting position as Rúmil approached, wiping her eyes with the trailing end of her sleeve. “Gwenyr-muin-nín, thank you so much for coming. I - we need you.”

Rúmil crossed the room to kneel in front of her, wrapping his arms around her. “We could not stay away,” he said. “As soon as we heard the terrible news, we came to you.”

“I cannot believe it,” Arwen said, her voice catching. “Nana so badly wounded, and your comrades - I am so sorry that they are lost!” She looked up as Haldir and Orophin made their way to her, and Rúmil let her go as she stood up to embrace each of his brothers in turn. He turned his attention instead to Elladan, whose stony silence still frightened him. Resting his hands upon Elladan’s knees, he looked up at his friend.

“Is there anything I can do for you, gwanûr-nín?” he murmured, and Elladan did not answer for a moment or two, although when Elrohir came to sit upon the arm of the chaise and smoothed Elladan’s hair out of his face he started and seemed to come back to himself.

“Help us to destroy every last Orc upon the face of Arda,” he grated out. “And keep our sisters safe. We could not do it for our mother -" and there his voice failed him.

“Thank you, Rúmil,” Elrohir said, stepping in. His voice was calmer than his brother’s, but when Rúmil looked into his eyes he could see that Elrohir was just as lost. “We must keep them safe. I would be happier if we did not have to travel, but Arwen must be at our mother’s side, and Niphredil must go with her. And so we must go to Imladris.”

“We travel light and ride hard,” said Elladan. “We wish to waste no time at all.” He left the reason unspoken, but Rúmil could read it well enough in his face. They must get to Imladris as soon as possible - before it was too late. 

A poorly suppressed sob drew Rúmil’s attention to little Niphredil, left alone on the floor now that Elrohir was sitting with his brother, Elladan’s face now buried in his chest. Rúmil shifted so that he was sitting next to Elladan’s feet, and held his arms out to Arwen’s little maiden, the honorary little sister of the children of Elrond, who was now honorary little sister to Rúmil and his brothers too, since Arwen and the twins had more or less adopted them some hundred or so years earlier. 

Niphredil shuffled over to sit next to him, and curled into his arms with another muffled sob, though she did not say a word. Rúmil cradled her close to him and stroked her hair, and slowly she subsided into silence again, only her hitching breath betraying her grief. Niphredil was long past her majority now, but Rúmil still thought of her as the little Elfling who had been somewhat infatuated with him when she was younger. She was long past that now, and had outgrown most of her shyness; she was, in fact, becoming more bold even than Arwen, and Rúmil rather liked her. He could not quite get out of the habit of calling her ‘pen-neth’ and he knew it drove her to distraction, and he thought to himself that he should really make more effort, for he remembered how frustrated he had felt when he thought his brothers were babying him long past his own majority. 

Glancing up, Rúmil saw that Haldir and Orophin were talking to Arwen in low voices, Haldir kneeling at her feet and Orophin perched on the end of the sofa beside her, his hand on her shoulder. Absently, Rúmil rested his head against Elladan’s knee, and after a moment felt fingers in his hair, distractedly twisting the strands and letting them fall over and over. 

For a long while they sat in silence, punctuated by the occasional sob from Niphredil or sigh from one or other of the twins, but eventually Rúmil found that he could bear it no longer. 

“Might I suggest a cup of wine?” he asked, glancing up first at the twins and then at Arwen, who scrubbed at her eyes with the end of her sleeve and sat up a little straighter. 

“Forgive me, I am the most dreadful hostess today,” she said with a shaky laugh, and Rúmil hastened to reassure her.

“Not at all,” he said, “and we would not expect it of you, today of all days. I just thought that perhaps it might give all of us a little fortification. I won’t suggest that it might help you feel better, for of course nothing can do that just now, but - might it be worth a try?”

“Of course,” said Arwen, glancing at her brothers. “Elrohir, you know where the wine and the goblets are. Would you mind awfully?”

“Not in the slightest,” said Elrohir, dropping a kiss into Elladan’s hair and standing up. “Rúmil, would you mind helping me?”

Rúmil gently unwound Niphredil’s arms from around his waist and stood up, raising her up as well; he was about to suggest she come and help, but Elladan reached up and pulled her into his lap, so he left them to it and followed Elrohir to the far side of the room, where stood a delicately carved wooden cabinet with engraved glass doors. 

“Thank you, Rúmil,” said Elrohir as he opened the doors and brought out seven exquisite cut-glass goblets, opening another door and producing two bottles of wine. Rúmil took three of the goblets in each hand, very carefully, and smiled softly. 

“We could not have done anything else,” he said. “And whatever you need, you need only ask.”

“Tonight, all we need is your company,” said Elrohir, “and tomorrow your sharp eyes and your skills as warriors. We cannot lose Arwen or Niphredil, not the way we…” He trailed off and Rúmil would have embraced him if he had not been holding six terrifyingly valuable goblets, so he leaned forward instead to rest his forehead against Elrohir’s. 

“And Valar willing, you will lose none of them,” he murmured. “We will do our best to make sure every last one of us arrives safely in Imladris.”

Elrohir was silent for a long moment, but Rúmil could hear the raggedness of his breathing and the working of his throat as he swallowed. 

“I could not bear it,” he whispered eventually. “I can hardly bear this. But one of us has to try to continue to function normally, and you’ve seen Elladan. I have never seen him like this before, and I - I am so afraid, Rúmil.”

Rúmil took a deep breath, a little disorientated by the reversal of roles. Usually the twins were the ones who knew everything, being considerably older than Rúmil and his brothers, but now their foundation had been kicked from under them and it was Rúmil’s turn to take charge.

“Try not to worry, gwanûr-nín,” he said, shifting to press a kiss to Elrohir’s forehead. “I know it’s the hardest thing under the stars, but just try to trust to us that we will do whatever we need to do to ensure we all reach Imladris safely. Now, let us go and sit down and pour everyone some wine.”

Elrohir nodded. “In truth, I need to drink until I fall asleep tonight, but I cannot, if we are to leave at first light tomorrow.”

“You can do that in Imladris,” said Rúmil. “Go and see your mother first, and then come to us.”

“We shall do that,” said Elrohir a little shakily. “She barely knows we are there, Rúmil. When we found her, she…she did not recognise us. She did not know us, and she cried. She thought we were the Orcs come to torment her again.” He broke off, and this time Rúmil set the goblets down on a nearby table, drawing Elrohir into his arms and stroking his hair as his shoulders shook.

A moment passed, and then Elladan was there, wrapping his arms around his brother, and Rúmil gently eased the wine bottles and the one remaining goblet out of Elrohir’s hands, leaving him to Elladan’s care and going to pour out the wine for the others. He sat down on the sofa between Arwen and Niphredil, but could not help a glance at the twins, now embracing tightly and both sets of shoulders shaking.

“Elrohir has been so good,” murmured Arwen, “he has looked after us all, he has held the pieces of his heart together for us. I knew what it was costing him, but he would not break. I do not know what you said to him, Rúmil, but I thank you. He needed this.” She took a sip of her wine. “They both did. Elladan has been like a statue, cold and hard and unyielding; he has barely spoken and he would not break either. They - “ she broke off again, biting back a sob. “Forgive me. I cannot imagine what they saw, what it has done to them. But this is perhaps the first step towards healing for them.”

“There is nothing to forgive,” said Orophin gently, covering Arwen’s hand with his own. “If you need to weep, you may do it with us.”

Arwen nodded, drawing in a deep breath. “In truth, what I think I need is to be held like an Elfling who has had a bad dream, for that is what this feels like.” 

“I think we can do that,” said Rúmil, and Orophin smiled.

“I think that of the three of us, I have the most experience in this field,” he said, and gently drew Arwen up into his lap. Haldir shifted to climb up into her place on the sofa between Orophin and Rúmil, and Rúmil lifted Niphredil into his own lap. The two ellith rested their feet on Haldir’s thighs, and the three brothers moved together, arms around each other’s shoulders and around Arwen and Niphredil, holding them safe. 

Eventually the twins came to join them, which necessitated some shuffling and squeezing, but soon they were all curled together in a tangle of limbs. Rúmil passed the wine bottle down the line, making sure everyone had a full glass, and after some consideration found himself speaking - not a toast, but a blessing, of sorts, or a wish.

“May the Valar watch over the Lady Celebrían,” he murmured, “and may Estë herself intercede in her healing.” He took a small sip of his wine. “And may Estë and Irmo grant all of you peace this night, gwethil-nín, gwenyr-nín.” He felt Elladan tense next to him, saw him open his mouth, but Niphredil shifted to rest her head on Elladan’s shoulder and he seemed to think better of whatever he was going to say, choosing instead to bring one hand up to smooth it over her hair.

They sat curled together for a long time, sipping at their wine, and Rúmil hoped that he and his brothers were providing at least a small comfort for their friends. 

As dusk was falling, Arwen stirred. “We should sleep,” she said, “if we are to be away at first light. I have not enough beds for you all in my chambers, but I also find that I cannot bear to let any of you go.”

“Let us bring the mattresses from the beds you do have,” said Orophin, who had long experience with this, too, small brothers who did not wish to sleep apart from him when one or the other of them had had a nightmare. “We can put them all here, if we move the furniture back.”

“On any other night this would be the most glorious fun,” said Arwen, “but now I just want to know that all of you are here while I sleep.”

Rúmil and Haldir joined Orophin in fetching the mattresses; Arwen had a guest room as well as Niphredil’s room, and they thought that three mattresses would just about suffice if all seven of them slept close enough together. The beds were wider than those in the talan the brothers shared, in any case. They gathered pillows and covers, and laid everything out in the centre of the main room, Arwen having enlisted the twins and Niphredil to help her move all the furniture back to make way. 

“I do not have nightwear for you all,” said Arwen, and Elrohir moved to slide his arms around her. 

“Do not worry about that, we can all sleep in our clothes. Most of us have done it before.” He cast a glance round at the rest, and everyone nodded, even Niphredil. “We shall be asking you about that later, pen-neth,” he said, and Niphredil let out a tiny giggle, pressing her fingers to her mouth in horror as if to keep inside any other treacherous sounds that might want to escape.

“Come on then,” said Elladan impatiently, some of the steel from earlier creeping back into his tone. “We must be awake before dawn, so best we get some sleep now. Tomorrow will be a very long day indeed.”

And so they all crawled beneath the covers in the makeshift bed, curling together again and holding each other close, hoping that sleep might come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Sindarin translations:**  
>  (source: ambar-eldaron.com's dictionary last updated October 2008):
> 
> ellith: female Elves  
> gwenyr-muin-nín: my dear brothers  
> gwanûr-nín: my brother  
> pen-neth: little one (literally: young one)  
> gwethil-nín: my sisters  
> gwenyr-nín: my brothers
> 
> Thank you for reading! If you're enjoying the story, do feel free to leave a comment and let me know - long or short or a single emoji, every single one absolutely makes my day. :)
> 
> I am [nocompromise-noregrets](https://nocompromise-noregrets.tumblr.com) over on Tumblr, by the way, so if any of you would like to come and find me there I would love to see you.


	3. May The Valar Watch Over You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party sets out for Imladris, and Galadriel and Celeborn send them on their way with blessings for their safety.

Rúmil lay awake in the dark, Orophin on one side of him and Elrohir on the other; Arwen and Niphredil lay between the twins and Haldir on the other side of Elladan. Niphredil had been the first to fall asleep, followed by Arwen, and the twins had not been far behind; it was clear that they were exhausted and had not rested properly in days. Rúmil was glad that they evidently felt safe enough now that they could sleep, and trust to Rúmil and his brothers to protect them. 

Rúmil had slept a little, and Orophin was sleeping now; he could not tell whether Haldir was awake or asleep, but he suspected his brother was awake. Although they were as safe here as it was possible to be, Rúmil felt that one of them probably ought to be keeping watch. Besides, he found that he was not particularly tired. He would probably regret not sleeping tomorrow, but for now he didn’t care. 

Elrohir twitched and muttered in his sleep, and Rúmil carefully smoothed a hand down his arm, hoping to anchor his friend to reality just enough to calm his nightmare. Shifting a little so that he could look out of the window, Rúmil thought that he could see the first beginnings of light on the horizon between the trees, and he decided that since he clearly was not going to sleep again, he might as well get up and see if he could find anyone to provide them with breakfast. Carefully disentangling himself from Orophin’s arms he sat up and very slowly got to his feet, not wishing to disturb anyone.

“Where are you going?” came a low voice from the makeshift bed, and Rúmil glanced round to see Haldir raised on one elbow, looking at him. 

“I thought I would go and find the kitchens and get some breakfast,” he said softly. “And see if the twins have already asked for supplies to be packed for the journey.” 

Haldir nodded. “Want some help?”

“No, you stay here. Keep watch over them.”

Haldir nodded again; he, too, understood that part of the reason the twins were sleeping so soundly was that they knew there was someone there as capable as they were.

Rúmil slipped out of the room and went in search of the kitchens, heading down stairs and along corridors, eventually picking up the scent of freshly brewing tea and warming bread and following his nose from there. The cooks had, he discovered, already packed saddlebags with lembas and fruit for the journey, and he managed to beg a large pot of tea and a basket of warm bread rolls from them, with a pat of butter and a pot of berry jam tucked in the middle. 

“Keep them safe, won’t you?” said the cook who passed him the tea, and the one who had prepared the rolls echoed her words. 

“They are all very dear to us,” the second cook said, “and we are terribly afflicted by the awful news about the Lady. Please take them our blessings and our hopes for the Lady’s speedy recovery.”

Rúmil promised to do so, and made his way back upstairs with the tea and the bread, attempting to remember which way he had come. He got lost a couple of times, and was retracing his steps when he almost walked straight into the Lady Galadriel, who was pacing the corridor with a terribly strained expression on her face. 

“My apologies, my Lady,” he murmured, and Galadriel shook her head absently. 

“No apologies are necessary, Rúmil,” she said distractedly. “In truth it is I who should apologise to you, for I did not see you until you were nearly upon me.” She glanced at the pot of tea and basket of rolls and smiled faintly. “You are caring for my grandchildren. Thank you. And please, keep them safe on the road to Imladris.” 

Rúmil did not think he was imagining the desperation in her voice. “My brothers and I will do everything we can, my Lady,” he said. “To the best of our abilities, we will not allow anything to happen to them.” 

“I know you will. But be careful. My Galadhrim are second to none, and yet -“ she broke off, took a breath and composed herself. “I will not lose another one of you. May the Valar watch over you on your journey.” And she turned and left him standing in the corridor, trying to remember which way he should go in order to find Arwen’s chambers again.

Another couple of false trails later, Rúmil finally found himself in front of Arwen’s door and he set down the tea and the bread so that he could enter the room as quietly as possible. Haldir was sitting in one of the armchairs and he came to help, taking the pot of tea and leaving Rúmil to bring the basket of rolls once he had closed the door. 

They set the basket and the teapot down on one of the tables and resumed their watch over the sleepers; soon Orophin stretched and yawned himself awake, and came to join them. By now it was twilight outside, and the sun would soon be rising, and Rúmil wondered how best to wake everyone; the twins would probably not respond well to having their shoulders shaken, given that their nerves were already stretched thin and they were more than deadly even in ordinary times.

Haldir came up with the solution: he went to the cabinet that held the goblets, and retrieved cups and plates, setting them carefully on the table and pouring tea for himself, Rúmil and Orophin. Sure enough, the gentle noise of the three beginning breakfast brought first Elladan and then Elrohir to wakefulness, and they in their turn woke Arwen and Niphredil. Haldir poured the tea and Orophin buttered rolls, and soon all seven were eating and drinking. 

“We should be away shortly after sunrise,” said Elrohir. “Arwen, Niphredil, go and put your riding habits on. You have packed your saddlebags already, have you not?”

Arwen nodded around a mouthful of bread, swallowing hastily. “Yes, we have some practical clothing and a healers’ kit, just in case we need it. We will be ready to go as soon as we have changed our clothes.” She rose from the table and she and Niphredil went to their own rooms, Niphredil hiding a yawn behind her hand as she went.

“Off you go, then,” said Elladan, calling after them, “you can always have another roll on your way down to the stables. I take it you three have all you need with you?” He glanced at Rúmil and his brothers, and they all three nodded. 

“We have our weapons,” said Orophin. “We need nothing else.”

“The cooks have supplies ready to be collected from the kitchens,” said Rúmil, and Elladan nodded. 

“Good,” he said. “We must travel as light as we can, for we will need to ride hard and we must not exhaust our horses. It will be a few days’ ride but we cannot afford any more than the bare minimum of time to rest.” 

In a few minutes Arwen and Niphredil returned in their riding habits, and Rúmil noted with approval that Arwen had Hadhafang hanging at her belt. She had become skilled at wielding the blade over the years and although she had never had cause to use it in combat, Rúmil did not doubt that she would acquit herself well enough. Even Niphredil had a dagger at her waist, although Rúmil was not certain she knew how to use it beyond ‘stick it in your attacker’, given that she had never attended Arwen’s ‘dancing lessons’. No matter. Once they arrived in Imladris he would ensure that she learned, and they would all have to hope that she would not have to gain any practical experience on the journey.

They all made their way down to the stables, Elrohir and Rúmil making a detour via the kitchens to collect the food the cooks had prepared for them. Seven horses waited in the stables; the twins’ own horses would stay in Lothlórien for now, since they had only arrived yesterday and by the twins’ own admission they had ridden as fast as they could. 

Rúmil and his brothers had not had as much experience with horses as the twins, but they knew well enough how to ride, and they would just have to be able to keep up, Rúmil thought to himself. Usually the Galadhrim who formed the escort for Lady Celebrían and Arwen marched alongside them as they rode at a sedate pace, but that would not serve them now. They must ride, and ride fast. 

Rúmil helped Niphredil into her saddle, as the twins lifted Arwen onto her own horse. He was just about to mount the horse set aside for him when Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn appeared at the stable door, and he and his brothers bowed low as the twins went to receive their grandparents’ blessing. 

“Ride hard, and be safe,” said Galadriel, kissing each twin on the forehead and going to Arwen’s horse, leaning up so that Arwen could stoop down for a kiss of her own. “Send us word of your arrival, and of how my Celebrían fares.”

“We will, Grandmother,” said Arwen. “Try not to worry about us, for we have the most able of guards to protect us.”

Galadriel glanced around at Rúmil and his brothers, standing at attention by their horses. “I know you do, pen-mell. I would trust no others with your safety. Now go, with the Valar’s blessing and ours!” She stepped back and Rúmil saw Lord Celeborn slip an arm around her shoulders; he could not be certain but he thought that Galadriel seemed to crumple a little against her husband. 

Rúmil swung himself up into his saddle, and the others mounted their horses, and then they rode out of the stable and along the path that led to the western edge of the Golden Wood. They had a hard ride ahead of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Sindarin translations:**  
>  (source: ambar-eldaron.com's dictionary last updated October 2008):
> 
> pen-mell: dear one
> 
> Thank you for reading! If you're enjoying the story, do feel free to leave a comment and let me know - long or short or a single emoji, every single one absolutely makes my day. :)
> 
> I am [nocompromise-noregrets](https://nocompromise-noregrets.tumblr.com) over on Tumblr, by the way, so if any of you would like to come and find me there I would love to see you.


	4. She Does Not Know Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party arrives in Imladris, and the twins and Arwen rush to see their mother. Meanwhile, Rúmil, his brothers and Niphredil run into Glorfindel, and settle themselves in the twins' quarters.

They made for Caradhras, traversing the pass without incident, and Rúmil heard Elladan swearing under his breath, something about the cowardly Mordor-spawn staying away now that they had had their sport. It was clear that both the twins were spoiling for a fight, and although Rúmil fervently hoped they did not encounter any Orcs on this of all journeys, he knew that they would need to let off steam sooner or later.

Eventually, after several days and nights on the road, riding all day and camping wherever they could, all of them except Niphredil taking turns in pairs on watch, they rode through the gates of Imladris and dismounted, all of them almost ready to drop with exhaustion. Nobody was there to greet them, and Rúmil heard the twins muttering angrily together about the patrols that should have seen them coming. 

After a few moments Lindir appeared, his face tense with worry, although he managed a smile when he saw that the twins and Arwen had arrived unscathed. 

“My Lords, my Lady, thank the Valar, you are safe! Let me send for someone to take care of your horses, and you must go to see your mother directly.”

“How is she?” asked Arwen, and none who did not know her well would have heard the tremor in her voice.

“There is no change, my Lady,” Lindir said, “I am so sorry not to be able to give you better news. Please, do not wait, go to her. And your escort - “

“Make up beds in our chambers,” said Elladan firmly. “These Galadhrim are as good as brothers to us, and we will not have them sleeping in the barracks. And a bed for Niphredil in Arwen’s rooms, as usual. Niphredil, you can show them to our rooms, can you not?”

“Of course, my lord.” Niphredil bobbed a little curtsey, as much for Lindir’s benefit as theirs, Rúmil suspected, and swayed on her feet as she did so; Orophin reached out to catch her by the arm, steadying her, and kept hold of her in case she should stumble again.

“Good,” said Elrohir, “see that you do. We will come to you when we have seen our mother.” And the twins turned on their heels, Arwen between them, presumably making for the Houses of Healing. 

Lindir looked rather as though the wind had been taken out of his sails, but he did not stop Niphredil as she led Rúmil and his brothers up the long flights of steps towards the highest house. 

After a few flights, Orophin, seeing that Niphredil was struggling to continue climbing, suggested that they sit down for a moment on one of the benches that were placed in strategic spots where they could offer the best views.

“After all,” he said, “Haldir and I have never been to Imladris before, and it would be nice to stop just for a moment and look around.” He did not mention Niphredil’s exhaustion, and Rúmil saw the look of gratitude on her face as she sank onto the bench.

“I am sure the twins and Arwen will not need us for a while,” said Haldir, and Rúmil nodded in agreement. 

“They will want to sit with their mother. And I, for one, could do with a rest. I had forgotten just how many flights of stairs there are here.” He made a show of sitting down on the bench next to Niphredil, wanting her to know that there was no shame in her exhaustion. 

They were still sitting there some time later when the sound of hurried footsteps came from above them and Rúmil looked up to see Glorfindel descending the steps in great haste. He thought that they were about to be reprimanded for sitting around somewhere they shouldn’t be, but Glorfindel only drew to a halt, a frown knitting his brow.

“Niphredil,” he said, “mae govannen, pen-neth. And - ah, you are the twins’ friend, are you not, sir Galadhrim? Forgive me, for I cannot just now recall your name.”

“I am Rúmil,” said Rúmil, making to get up, but Glorfindel flapped a hand at him. 

“No, no, sit down, you have had a long and hard journey, all of you. These are your brothers?”

Rúmil introduced Haldir and Orophin, noting with distant amusement the looks on their faces as they realised that this distracted Elf was indeed the very grand Lord Glorfindel whom they had seen at the banquet in Lothlórien so many years ago. 

“It is my honour to meet you, although I would that it were under better circumstances,” said Glorfindel, sketching a hasty salute. “And now, please tell me, are the twins and Arwen well? You encountered no…problems, upon your journey?”

“They are as well as could be expected, my Lord,” said Orophin. “We did not see hide nor hair of a single Orc on our travels. They have gone to the Houses of Healing to be with their mother, sir.”

“That is such a relief to hear,” said Glorfindel. “Thank you. But please excuse me, for I must reassure myself with my own eyes that they are indeed here, and safe. I am sure we will see each other again while you are here.” And he was gone, continuing down the steps at breakneck pace, his golden hair flying behind him like a flag.

“That was - “ said Haldir, looking bewildered, and Rúmil chuckled rather exhaustedly.

“That was Glorfindel. _The_ Glorfindel, yes, as far as anyone knows. He’s usually more intimidating than that.”

“It’s not his fault,” said Niphredil quietly. “He’s just _like_ that. But he was wonderfully kind to me when I was an Elfling. When everyone else was busy, he would sit and play with me and my dolls for hours. We made up a whole world, and then we conquered it.” She made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob, dashing her hand across her eyes, and then, pulling herself together, she suggested continuing on their way to the highest house. “Truly, I just want to sit in a proper chair, with cushions,” she said shakily.

“There are plenty of those in the twins’ quarters,” said Rúmil, getting to his feet and offering Niphredil his hand to help her up. “And we can go as slowly as we need to.”

They made their weary way up the rest of the stairs and into the highest house, Orophin and Haldir staring around in wonder at everything they passed. Rúmil was too tired to tease them for it, but resolved to do so later, when they had managed to rest. Eventually they reached the door to the twins’ rooms and Rúmil pushed it open, ushering Niphredil in before him. 

All was chaos, betraying the fact that the twins had left in a very great hurry indeed; clothes lay strewn about the floor, and a saddlebag was upended in front of the fire. Niphredil immediately moved to begin picking things up, and Orophin laid a hand on her shoulder.

“Not now, pen-neth. You are tired, and besides, you are not the twins’ housemaid. Sit down and we will light the fire.” He guided her to the chair nearest the fireplace, and he and Haldir began to lay the fire while Rúmil went to look in the cupboards for a bottle of wine and some cups, reasoning that the twins would most likely not mind if they helped themselves while they waited for their hosts to return.

Once the fire was lit, Haldir and Orophin pulled up chairs, and Rúmil fetched one for himself from in front of the bookcase. He badly wanted to curl up in Orophin’s lap, but Niphredil did not know of the true nature of the relationship between the two brothers, and now was certainly not the time to let her into the secret. They had not been alone together since the morning before the terrible news of Celebrían’s abduction and torment had reached the Golden Wood, and they were not likely to be for some time yet. Rúmil knew that there was at least one spare room in the twins’ chambers, since the twins themselves only used one bedroom rather than the two that were nominally assigned to them, but he thought there was no guarantee that Haldir would have a room of his own, or that Rúmil and Orophin would be sleeping alone tonight. 

They sat in silence, drinking the wine slowly, and after a while Rúmil glanced across at Niphredil and saw that she was almost asleep, her wine cup tilting at a precarious angle in her hand. He leaned forward and took it from her, setting it on the floor next to her chair, and tucked her outstretched hand onto her lap. She murmured a sleep-heavy ‘thank you’ and within moments was gone, her breathing slowing and her eyes finally falling closed.

Eventually the twins arrived, and as soon as Rúmil saw the looks upon their faces he leapt to his feet and fetched two more cups, filling them to the brim and handing them over. 

“I hope you will forgive us, for we have raided your supplies,” he said, aware that humour was probably the last thing they wanted to hear, but still feeling he should give them an explanation as to why they were all sitting around the twins’ fireplace and drinking their wine without them. 

“How is your mother?” asked Haldir, and there was a brief silence before Elrohir dropped onto the rug in front of the fire, Elladan following him, looking rather like a pair of puppets whose strings had suddenly been cut.

“No better,” said Elrohir. “Her wound is beginning to heal, Ada has mostly driven the poison out, but she - “ he faltered, and Elladan stepped in.

“She does not know us,” he said, and the pain was clear in his voice, the sound of an open wound across his soul. “It is as though she is lost inside her mind, and even Ada cannot quite reach her. Arwen is still sitting with her, hoping that if she stays long enough Nana might remember who she is.”

“I am sorry,” said Rúmil, and both twins shook their heads sharply. 

“Sorrow serves no purpose now,” said Elladan. “Tomorrow we ride out and any Orcs we find, we put to the sword.”

Rúmil exchanged a worried glance with his brothers. “Will you not allow yourselves even a day to recover from your travels?” he asked tentatively. “You will be able to ride further and fight harder if you have rested.”

“I cannot rest while they are still out there,” snapped Elladan, lowering his voice as Niphredil stirred and murmured at the sound. “Not while Nana still lies in the Healing House and does not even know her own children. They must die, every last one of them who did this to her, and the sooner the better.” 

Orophin leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands in front of him. “They must, gwanûr-nín, but do you not think you owe it to them to meet them at your most terrible and deadly? Forgive my boldness, but you are not quite at the peak of your powers just now.”

“He is right, meleth,” murmured Elrohir, turning to press a kiss into Elladan’s hair. “We are not at our best. The Orcs will still be there in a couple of days’ time, and we can despatch them so much more readily then.”

Elladan did not look convinced, but after a moment he let out a sigh. “I am so very tired,” he admitted, and Elrohir kissed his hair again.

“I know, meleth, and so am I. Besides, I do not think Ada will wish to see us leave again so quickly. And Nana may yet regain herself, and we must be there if she does.”

“If there is anything we may do for you,” said Haldir after a moment, “you need only ask. If you need us to ride out on patrol in your stead, or whatever it may be, we will gladly do it.”

“You need to rest too, gwanûr-nín,” said Elrohir. “But we will gladly accept your offer to ride out with us, when we go, although I imagine our grandmother will be expecting you back in Lothlórien before too long.”

“I do not think she will mind if we stay for a season or two,” said Orophin. “Our comrades usually stay for longer, after all.”

There was a short silence, and then Elrohir lifted his cup of wine.

“I would drink to your comrades, who gave their lives for our mother. We have not thought of them as much as we should, so distracted have we been by her fate, but I am sure that it would have been much worse had the Galadhrim not been there to fight for her. We thank you, and we are so very sorry for your loss.”

“Yes,” said Elladan, lifting his cup too. “To the Galadhrim. We will arrange for their bodies to be sent back to Lórien for the most honourable burial.”

Rúmil and his brothers drank deeply, and Haldir answered, as their Captain. 

“We thank you for that kindness,” he said. “They will be mourned throughout the Golden Wood.”

“As they should be,” said Elrohir. “They fought bravely, and we will avenge them. But - once we have rested.” He drained his cup and set it aside. “Our guest room should have been made up for you, Haldir, and my room will of course have been made up for me, so Rúmil and Orophin, you may have that one. Elladan, will you take Niphredil to her room?”

Elladan nodded, getting to his feet and scooping Niphredil out of her chair, carrying her out of the room as though she weighed no more than the smallest Elfling. Elrohir, too, stood and directed Haldir to the guest room, and Rúmil and Orophin to his own bedroom, which of course he would not be needing himself. The brothers embraced him, their message one of wordless support, and then they let him go, making for their rooms and leaving him to wait for his twin’s return. 

Rúmil closed Elrohir’s bedroom door behind him and turned to find Orophin standing directly behind him. He stepped into his beloved’s embrace and felt a weight lifting from his shoulders, now that he did not have to be quite so strong for his friends. 

“We should sleep, meleth-nín,” said Orophin, and Rúmil nodded. 

“I know,” he said. “Do you think they will be all right?”

“I don’t know. I hope so. I hope the Lady Celebrían makes a swift recovery, for all it sounds hopeless at the moment.”

“I hope so too. I cannot bear seeing them so distraught, and I cannot even begin to imagine how it feels for them.” Rúmil rested his forehead against Orophin’s for a moment, and then shifted slightly, seeking his lips for a kiss, suddenly needing the reassurance of his oldest brother’s - his beloved’s - unquestioning love.

Orophin parted his lips, nudging at Rúmil’s with the tip of his tongue and deepening the kiss as Rúmil opened for him, caressing Rúmil’s tongue with his own as they clung together as though they were drowning and each was the only thing keeping the other afloat. 

Eventually they parted, just enough to speak, though an indrawn breath would have brought their lips together again.

“We should sleep,” said Orophin, and Rúmil sighed softly.

“We should. I can barely keep my eyes open as it is. Come, then, meleth-nín, let us see how comfortable a bed is allotted to a son of Elrond.” He gave a mischievous smile, and tugged Orophin by the hand over to the bed. 

They undressed quickly and slid beneath the covers, freshly laundered and beautifully soft; the mattress was firm and welcoming to their tired bodies, and they stretched out alongside each other, Rúmil’s hand smoothing up Orophin’s back. 

“Hmmmm,” he said, “this is a most acceptably comfortable bed. I cannot think why Elrohir does not see fit to use it.”

Orophin chuckled softly. “I suspect that Elladan’s bed is not only just as comfortable, it also holds someone who makes it more than worth his while to forsake his own.”

“I think you are not wrong there, meleth,” said Rúmil with a smile that turned into a yawn, and he snuggled closer to Orophin, tucking his head under Orophin’s chin as Orophin drew his arms around him, holding him close and safe. Before too many moments more had elapsed, they were both overtaken by sleep, the exhaustion from their days on the road catching up with them at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Sindarin translations:**  
>  (source: ambar-eldaron.com's dictionary last updated October 2008):
> 
> mae govannen: well met/welcome  
> pen-neth: little one (literally: young one)  
> ada: father (informal)  
> nana: mother (informal)  
> gwanûr-nín: my brother  
> meleth: love  
> meleth-nín: my love
> 
> And that gets me over 400k words posted here between June and December 2020! *party streamers* It's New Year's Eve and I have had a much better time this year for having got back into the Tolkien fandom. Thank you all! <333333
> 
> Thank you for reading! If you're enjoying the story, do feel free to leave a comment and let me know - long or short or a single emoji, every single one absolutely makes my day. :)
> 
> I am [nocompromise-noregrets](https://nocompromise-noregrets.tumblr.com) over on Tumblr, by the way, so if any of you would like to come and find me there I would love to see you.


	5. Nothing More Than A Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orophin has a very disturbing dream, and the brothers are invited to breakfast with Lord Elrond.

Orophin woke from a nightmare in the middle of the night, starting awake with a shudder and a gasp; at first he did not know where he was, but gradually reality made its way through to him and he remembered that he was in Imladris, in the highest house, in Elrohir’s bed - though Elrohir himself was of course with Elladan - and Rúmil was curled against him, fast asleep. 

Rúmil…Orophin’s nightmare came back to him with full force and he gasped again, feeling his throat constrict and suddenly realising that his face was wet with tears; he had been crying in his sleep. He reached out to touch Rúmil’s hair, to reassure himself that he was there, he was all right, and the terrible things he had just seen in his dream were just that - a dream - and Rúmil hummed and rolled over, his eyes fluttering open. 

“Mmmhh…Orophin…sleepy,” he yawned, bringing his fingers up to touch Orophin’s face, and then freezing for a moment as he woke up properly. “Orophin, you are weeping. What is wrong, meleth?”

“I dreamed…” Orophin trailed off, trying to articulate what had happened in his nightmare. “I saw a great fortress of Men, hewn into a mountainside. It was besieged by Orcs, some of the hugest and foulest I have ever seen, and the Men were defending it. A troop of Galadhrim were there, sent by the Lady and the Lord to aid the men, and Haldir was their leader. You were there, too. And you - “ he stopped, swallowing hard against a sob; it had felt so horribly real, “- neither of you returned home to me.” Orophin buried his face in his hands, overwhelmed by the grief he had felt in his dream.

Gradually he returned to himself, realising that Rúmil was holding him close, cradling Orophin’s head against his chest and stroking his hair, murmuring to him.

“Hush, meleth, hush, it was a dream, nothing more. I am here now, am I not? All is well. I am here, and you were dreaming.” Rúmil kissed his hair, and he bit back one last sob, turning his head into his beloved’s touch.

“It felt so real,” he whispered, and Rúmil kissed his hair again.

“We have had a very long few days, and terrible things have happened. We have lost some of our comrades. It is only to be expected that our dreams would be disturbed as a result,” he murmured. 

“But such a dream - it was so _specific_ ,” Orophin said. “Why a fortress of Men? Why in such a strange place, and why, _why_ would the Lady and the Lord send Galadhrim to aid them? It makes no sense.”

“Dreams rarely do, meleth-nín,” Rúmil said, sifting his fingers through Orophin’s hair. “Your mind has taken the last few days and painted a strange picture with them, that is all. Do you think you might be able to fall asleep again now?”

“I am afraid,” Orophin admitted, “in case I dream something worse,” and Rúmil tilted his face up for a kiss. 

“I will hold you and watch over you, meleth, and I will chase any nightmares away,” he promised, and after a moment Orophin settled down, his head pillowed on Rúmil’s shoulder and Rúmil’s arms around him, his hands in his hair. He tightened his arm around Rúmil’s waist, reasoning that if he held on tight to his beloved, it might help him see off any further dreams. Closing his eyes, he very slowly drifted back off to sleep, filling his mind with thoughts of Rúmil and of how much he loved him, how safe he made him feel. This time his dreams were quiet, and when he woke in the morning he was refreshed, although the uncanny terror of the nightmare never quite left him.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Rúmil awoke early, pulled on his leggings and tunic and went in search of the bathroom, splashing some water on his face to help him finish waking up; he was still tired, but not the bone-deep exhaustion that had weighed upon him the previous evening. He glanced back into Elrohir’s room, checking that Orophin was sleeping peacefully, and then made his way over to the long window in the living area, discovering that it opened onto a balcony. Nobody else seemed to be awake, and Rúmil leaned on the railing looking down over the gardens as the Valley of the Bruinen slowly began to come to life. 

Orophin’s nightmare had worried him, for his oldest brother had never really been prone to bad dreams. Rúmil himself had had them occasionally when he was younger, and Haldir once or twice, but Rúmil did not think he could remember Orophin ever having a nightmare before. Perhaps he had had them and said nothing about them, but for the last hundred or so years Rúmil had shared Orophin’s bed every night, and he thought he would have noticed.

It was probably a delayed reaction to the terrible news of their comrades and of the Lady Celebrían, Rúmil reasoned, but something about it had unsettled him even as he had reassured Orophin that it had just been a dream, that all was well. The strangeness of the details - Galadhrim being sent to fight alongside an army of Men, when that had not happened for an Age, the strangely specific description of the fortress, hewn into a mountainside - made Rúmil think it sounded like a premonition. He did not think Orophin had the Sight, but perhaps he was developing it? He made a mental note to ask the Lady Galadriel about it when they returned to Lothlórien, if she could spare the time for him.

Putting it firmly from his mind, Rúmil resumed his watch over the valley, thinking instead of the twins and Arwen, and the torment their mother had undergone. If the Orcs had truly become so bold as to dare to attack the Lady of Imladris, he thought it was probably unlikely that he and his brothers could be spared from Lothlórien’s patrols for long, but he thought it should at least be possible for them to ride out with the twins a few times before they would have to return home. He wanted to help them in their quest for revenge, but he also thought that it would be as well for them to have company on their first few sorties, at least, to keep them from taking unnecessary risks and hopefully prevent them losing themselves completely in their bloodlust.

Eventually he heard someone stirring behind him; listening for a moment, he thought, _Haldir_. Haldir moved with a deliberateness and confidence, whereas Orophin was light-footed and graceful. He was not quite as familiar with the twins’ movements, but he would know them if he heard them, and this was definitely Haldir. 

After a moment, his middle brother came to join him at the railing, gazing down over the terraces and pinnacled buildings. 

“It is truly lovely here,” said Haldir almost reverently. “Almost as beautiful as our home, but different.”

Rúmil nodded. “I imagine we will be spending the next couple of days exploring on our own, as the twins and Arwen will be otherwise occupied,” he said. “I know my way around enough to show you most of the valley.”

“I think Elladan and Elrohir have already gone to be with their mother,” said Haldir, “for their door was open and I do not think there is anyone in their room. I don’t suppose you happen to know where they serve breakfast here?”

“Not up here,” said Rúmil, “but we can go to the refectory in the garrison. Orophin is still sleeping, though, and I do not wish to wake him. He did not sleep overly well.” He paused, a frown crossing his brow. “Actually, he had a nightmare.”

Haldir looked at him in surprise, and Rúmil nodded.

“If I am honest with you, gwanûr-nín, the more I think about it, the more it sounds like a premonition. You do not remember him ever showing any indication of having the Sight?”

Haldir shook his head. “Not that I can recall. What was the dream about?”

“Something about a battle between Orcs and Men at a great fortress carved into a mountainside, and a band of Galadhrim being sent by the Lady Galadriel to aid the men. Including you and me.” He paused, breathing deeply, trying to calm the unsettled feeling inside him. “We did not return home.”

“He is thinking of what happened to our comrades, and our friends’ distress over their mother,” said Haldir, “and it is making its way out through his dreams. He was always sensitive, you know that, even if he tried to hide it so that he could care for us.”

“I suppose so,” said Rúmil. “It was just so uncanny, he seemed so convinced of it.”

“The dead of night can make us all think strange things,” said Haldir, and the calm certainty in his voice began to make Rúmil feel a little better. 

“Perhaps you are right,” he said, banishing the last fragments of the dread he had felt.

They stood in silence for a while, as the first rays of the sun crept over the mountains and illuminated the Valley in pale golden light. After a while Orophin came to join them, yawning, and they decided that they should probably go in search of breakfast.

“And the bath house,” said Haldir, “for I do not know about you two, but I am feeling the effects of days in the saddle and I would dearly love a long soak in some warm water.”

“There are baths in the garrison,” said Rúmil, “so if we are breakfasting in the refectory we can go there afterwards - or before, depending on how desperate you are.”

Just then there was a soft knock at the door that led out into the corridor, and before any of them could move to answer it, Lindir came in, bowing to them. 

“I am bidden by Lord Elrond to ask for the pleasure of your company at breakfast,” he said, and the three brothers exchanged a look. 

“That is most kind of his Lordship,” said Haldir, when it became apparent that both his brothers were too surprised to speak, “but please, may we be permitted to bathe first? We have not had the opportunity since we left Lothlórien, and we would not wish to dishonour the Lord by appearing before him in our unwashed state.”

Lindir smiled. “You have anticipated the next part of my message, Captain,” he said. “There are bathrooms in the guest chambers on this floor, and I have asked that baths be drawn for you in three of them. I have also taken the liberty of providing a change of clothes for each of you, as I understand that you travelled very light indeed. If you would be so good as to follow me, I will show you where you may bathe and change your clothes.”

The three brothers trooped obediently down the corridor after Lindir, and he showed them each into a separate set of chambers with its own bathroom. Rúmil was a little disappointed to be separated from Orophin, but he knew the importance of keeping their secret among strangers, and he did not show it, instead looking around at the sumptuousness of the room he had been assigned and feeling secretly rather relieved that they had been allowed to sleep in the twins’ chambers. The twins kept their rooms beautifully furnished but simple, as befitted the warriors and scholars that they were; these rooms were clearly intended to impress important visitors, and Rúmil felt horribly out of place among the fine sculpture and luxurious tapestries and velvets. 

He took himself into the bathroom, discovering a large marble bathtub filled almost to the brim with gently steaming water, a rail bearing thick, soft towels, and an assortment of bottles along the edge of the bath. A chair stood in one corner, and upon it sat a neatly folded pile of clothes in soft greys, greens and blues. Rúmil wondered if his brothers had received clothes in the same colours or whether they would be dressed differently for the duration of their visit, as they had been when Arwen had given them robes to wear for a banquet in Lothlórien to welcome her father’s household to the Golden Wood.

Setting aside his wonderings, he peeled off his travelling clothes, and stepped carefully into the bath. He had never been in such a splendid bathroom before, being used to the communal bath house in Lothlórien or the rather austere washing facilities in the garrison here in Imladris. This was luxury such as he had never imagined, by comparison. He took a deep breath and submerged himself under the water, stretching himself out. The bath was large enough for him to be able to lie down fully, and almost deep enough that he could float. 

He stayed under the water until he had to surface to breathe, drawing in a long, shuddering breath as he sat up, the water pouring off him and taking at least some of the road dirt with it. Reaching for the bottles ranged along the side of the bath, he smelled the contents of each and poured a little into his hands, testing their consistency. One lathered and smelled of herbs, another was a smooth oil that smelled of fruit and seemed to lift the grime from his hands, another contained mineral-scented crystals that crunched and began to melt between his fingers. He tipped some into his hand and scrubbed them over his arms, finding that they lifted the dirt and made his skin feel refreshed, almost tingling. He scrubbed himself all over, and then tried the oil, rubbing it into his skin and then sluicing it off. The lathering cream he tipped onto his hair, rubbing it through the strands and into his scalp, marvelling at how invigorating it felt. Ducking himself under the water again he rinsed it all off, and came up again feeling more awake than he had in a long time; certainly since before all this had begun.

He soaked for a while, and although the water now held the road dirt, it seemed that there was so much of it that the dirt was hardly noticeable. The water smelled of the fruit, herbs and minerals from the cleansing concoctions, and it felt delightful, soaking away the aches from the days he had spent in the saddle. He thought he could quite happily stay here all day, but then he remembered that he and his brothers were supposed to be having breakfast with Lord Elrond, and he sat up abruptly. Attempting to suppress the sudden nervousness springing within him, he got to his feet and climbed out of the bath, reaching for a towel from the rail and wrapping it around himself, wrapping another around his hair to soak up the worst of the water. He could have lost himself in its softness, but the urgency of his appointment focussed his mind and he dried himself quickly and then went to investigate the clothing that had been laid out for him on the chair. Leggings, an undershirt and a tunic, the leggings and undershirt a muted grey-blue and the tunic a deeper silvery green with a trail of leaves embroidered up the front in grey thread, and a pair of soft leather ankle boots, silver-green like the tunic and bearing the same design of leaves delicately embroidered upon the sides. Rúmil dressed quickly and unwrapped the towel from his hair, realising that there was a looking-glass on the wall with a shelf beneath it bearing a comb, a brush and a bundle of lengths of thread for tying braids. He brushed his hair out and braided it simply back from his face on each side; it was still damp but he thought that Lord Elrond would just have to live with that. 

When he was satisfied with his appearance, he glanced around the room; had he forgotten anything? Spying the towels he had discarded on the floor, he picked them up and folded them, hanging them back on the rail again; he was more than a little untidy at home, but he felt self-conscious in such grand surroundings and felt he should probably tidy up after himself. He was not sure what to do about the bath; clearly it must drain somehow but he could not see how, so he left it, and ventured back out to the corridor, where Orophin was just emerging, wearing clothing similar to his own, in muted blues, greys and greens, looking well-rested but still somewhat tense around the eyes. Rúmil wanted to go to him, wrap his arms around him and hold him until the lingering terror from his nightmare had finally loosed its grip upon him, but at that moment Lindir appeared at the end of the corridor, just as Haldir came out of the room he had been assigned, also in similar colours, and it was time to go and meet Lord Elrond for breakfast. Rúmil fervently hoped that the twins and Arwen might be there, for he had never felt anything other than intimidated on the few occasions he had met the Lord of Imladris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Sindarin translations:**  
>  (source: ambar-eldaron.com's dictionary last updated October 2008):
> 
> meleth: love  
> meleth-nín: my love  
> gwanûr-nín: my brother
> 
> Just as an aside, I am sure you have all worked out what Orophin's dream was about, but let me reassure you that in this 'verse, Haldir does _not_ die at Helm's Deep, and nor does Rúmil. We'll be dealing with that battle at some point in part 3 of this series, but for now I wanted to reassure everyone! (and for a story about what Rúmil does in the aftermath of the battle, see [Understanding](https://archiveofourown.org/works/723193), in which he makes an unlikely friend.)
> 
> Thank you for reading! If you're enjoying the story, do feel free to leave a comment and let me know - long or short or a single emoji, every single one absolutely makes my day. :)
> 
> I am [nocompromise-noregrets](https://nocompromise-noregrets.tumblr.com) over on Tumblr, by the way, so if any of you would like to come and find me there I would love to see you.


	6. Drink Until We Fall Asleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rúmil and his brothers have breakfast at Elrond's table and learn some distressing news about Celebrían. Later, they meet Arwen and Niphredil in the gardens, and finish the day by drinking with them and the twins and attempting to give them some comfort.

Lindir led them along corridors and down stairs, and eventually into a large, light room with a long balcony that looked out over the valley. The room was as opulently furnished as the rest of the highest house, finely carved bookcases and cabinets containing beautiful objects lining the walls, and a long table and chairs set with delicate crockery and cutlery, bowls and plates of bread and fruits and cheeses all down the middle. Lord Elrond was sitting at the head of the table, flanked by his sons, who sent warm glances their way but said nothing, and then Glorfindel and Erestor. Arwen was not there, and neither was Niphredil.

Lord Elrond rose from the table as Lindir led the brothers into the room, his hands spread wide. “Welcome,” he said, his deep voice as calm as the waters of a lake; Rúmil thought, however, that like a lake there must be much beneath the surface that a casual observer would never see. 

Lindir ushered them to sit down and then withdrew, and Rúmil found himself next to Master Erestor, with Orophin next to him and Haldir opposite. He had the distinct impression that everyone had been waiting for their arrival, and he felt somewhat self-conscious. 

“We owe you a great debt,” Lord Elrond said when Rúmil and his brothers were settled. “You ensured my children reached their home safely at this most crucial moment, and I can never thank you enough.”

“It was our honour, my Lord,” said Haldir, turning to place his hand over his heart and incline his head, somewhat awkwardly given that he was sitting at a table. “And our pleasure, for we have come to like and respect your daughter and your sons a great deal. We would ride to the ends of Arda for them if they needed us.”

Rúmil glanced at Orophin, and they both nodded in unison. “My brother speaks the truth, my Lord,” said Rúmil. “We love them, and if they need anything from us, they need only ask.”

“Such loyalty you command, ŷn-nín,” said Lord Elrond, glancing first at one twin and then at the other. 

“We do not command it, Adar,” said one, and Rúmil thought it was Elrohir. “It is freely given, as is ours to them. We have known them for a century or more and we would trust them with our lives, as they would, I am sure, trust us with theirs.”

“Then I am pleased that you have found such true friends,” said Elrond. “Please, help yourselves to breakfast. I am sure you must be hungry.”

Glorfindel reached for a bread roll at that, and Rúmil thought that he in particular had probably been waiting some time to be able to eat. Rúmil himself hung back until Master Erestor had taken an apple and begun to peel it delicately with the tip of a knife he produced from his belt, and the twins had each filled their plates with bread and cheese, pats of butter and spoonfuls of jam. 

For a while all was quiet as breakfast proceeded, and Rúmil began slowly to relax a little. For all the grandeur of the setting, the food was not all that dissimilar to that which he had eaten in the garrison refectory when he had stayed in Imladris as part of the escort for Lady Celebrían and Arwen. It was simple but delicious, and Rúmil thought that he had not realised quite how hungry he was until he had begun to eat.

Eventually the twins pushed their plates back as one, and Elrond glanced at each of them in turn. 

“May we go to Nana?” asked Elrohir, and Elladan took up the request.

“Arwen will need to sleep, and we do not want to leave Nana alone,” he said. 

Elrond nodded, rubbing his brow with the fingertips of one hand. “I shall be with you directly,” he said. “I have one or two things to take care of, but then I shall come to sit with your mother too.”

“Do not worry about any mundane tasks here, my Lord,” said Master Erestor smoothly. “I am sure Glorfindel and I can take care of them quite sufficiently for now. Go to the Lady Celebrían with your sons.”

Rúmil did not think he imagined the look of relief that whisked across Elrond’s face at that. 

“Thank you, mellyn-nín,” he said. “I must ask our guests to forgive me.”

“No need for forgiveness, my Lord,” said Haldir, who seemed to have appointed himself spokesperson for his brothers; not that Rúmil minded one bit. “Please, go to your wife, and carry with you all our good wishes for her speedy recovery.”

Elrond sighed, inadvertently it seemed, for within the moment he was thanking them for their kind wishes; and then he was sweeping from the room, closely followed by the twins, although Elladan paused briefly behind Haldir’s chair. 

“You’ll have to amuse yourselves for a while today, but we will come and find you, later,” he said softly.

The three brothers nodded, and then Elrond and his sons were gone, leaving the three Galadhrim with Master Erestor and Glorfindel.

“It was kind of you to say that, Captain Haldir,” said Glorfindel after a moment. “But I think, just between you and me and these four walls, that Elrond fears that Celebrían will not recover.”

Rúmil and his brothers exchanged horrified looks, but none of them had managed to say anything before Erestor took up the conversation.

“Her bodily hurts are great, but I fear the wounds to her soul are worse. Arwen and the twins may yet have great need of your company and your comfort,” he said, his deep voice holding untold sadness. 

“We will be ready to do whatever they need us to,” said Orophin after a moment, “but we hope that you are wrong. I intend no disrespect, my Lords, but in this case -“

“Absolutely,” said Glorfindel. “Normally I would not be overly eager to be proved wrong, but in this case it is all I can hope for.”

“And I,” said Erestor. “Elrond is the most skilled healer in all of Arda, and if it is possible for her to heal, he will make certain of it. But I think you ought all to bear the possibility in mind that she may not come through this, and be ready.”

“We have known those three since they were babes in arms,” said Glorfindel, “and we will do our best, but they will need their friends as well as their former tutors, and Elrond will need us, too. Perhaps between us we may take care of them all.”

“I hope so,” said Rúmil. “They were kind to me when I had great need of it, and I have never felt I had quite managed to repay them. They are very dear to us all.”

“As they are to us,” said Erestor gravely. “Now, might I interest you in more tea? Another apple, or a roll?”

Rúmil shook his head, he was full, and his brothers followed suit. 

“Thank you,” said Haldir, “but I think we have all eaten our fill.”

“Good,” said Glorfindel. “Now, I think Erestor and I have things to attend to. Will you find your way to the gardens?”

“I think I can remember the way,” said Rúmil. “I was hoping to show my brothers around a little.”

“A wonderful idea,” said Glorfindel. “Perhaps later, or another day, you might do me the honour of sparring with me. Or if any of you enjoys reading, Erestor will I am sure be glad to show you the library.”

“I should perhaps like to see the library, if you would be so good, my Lord,” said Orophin rather shyly; he had discovered something of a love of reading since that time, so long ago now, when Rúmil had been in Imladris and Orophin had sought explanations and counsel from the books in the library of Caras Galadhon.

“Very well then,” said Erestor with a reserved smile. “Perhaps tomorrow, if you have nothing else to do.”

“I would like that very much,” said Orophin. 

They all stood, and Rúmil led his brothers through the corridors to the gardens, leaving Lord Elrond’s friends to their business. The terraces and waterfalls were as beautiful as Rúmil remembered, and for many hours he wandered with Orophin and Haldir, trying not to think too hard about the terrible sorrow that their friends were feeling, and the possibility that worse might be to come.

Around the middle of the afternoon, Arwen and Niphredil found them, both ellith looking drawn and tired, and in no real mood for conversation. They sat quietly around a fountain, and Arwen trailed her fingers listlessly in the water.

“I sat with her all night,” she said after a while, “and she did not once show any sign of knowing who I am. And her wounds - I know I have not seen them all, but even just her face, she is bruised and battered and I could hardly recognise her at first. I want to find the Mordor-scum who did this and send them all to meet their maker - and that frightens me. If I can feel such anger and desire for revenge, what else am I capable of?”

“It is understandable that you should feel that way,” said Orophin softly. “They have committed a terrible crime against your mother, and against your whole family.”

“We have already promised your brothers that we will ride out with them in a few days and do our best to dispatch as many of them as we can,” put in Haldir. “Your mother’s torment will not go unavenged.”

“Thank you, my brothers,” said Arwen. “I just cannot stop thinking of her lying there in her bed, so broken, and thinking of how much worse it must have been for my brothers when they found her…” She trailed off, swallowing against a sob, and Rúmil reached out to place his hand over hers. 

“Try not to think about it,” he said. “Easier said than done, I know, but try not to torment yourself with it. She will need your strength, when she comes back to herself.”

“Perhaps,” said Arwen, “but what if she never does?”

“Don’t say it,” said Orophin. “You will drive yourself mad. Try to hold onto your hope.”

“I am trying,” said Arwen, “but it is so hard. I must keep a brave face when I sit with her, in case she sees me or hears me but cannot say it, but when I am away from her, I feel as though I might crumble into pieces at any moment.”

“That is why we are here,” said Rúmil, squeezing her hand. “We are here to be your support, yours and your brothers’. We will stand at your side when you waver, pick you up should you fall, listen to you if you need to talk, sit with you if you need silence. If you weep we will dry your tears, and if you are shaking apart we will hold you together. For as long as you need us.”

“As long as you need us,” echoed Orophin.

“We are not just pretty faces and strong sword-arms, you know,” said Haldir calmly, and Arwen gave a thoroughly undignified snort of laughter, echoed by a tiny giggle from Niphredil, who was leaning against Orophin’s shoulder. 

“I know that you are far more than that, my dear, dear friends,” said Arwen after a moment, when she had pulled herself together. “And I thank you for your care and your kindness. You may yet regret promising yourselves to us so generously.”

“Never,” said Rúmil, and his brothers echoed his declaration.

Some time later the twins appeared, looking exhausted. “There you are,” said Elladan. “Here is how it is: I need a drink, he needs a drink,” he gestured to Elrohir, “those two need a drink,” he pointed at Arwen and Niphredil, “and I would wager the three of you also need a drink. Ada is sitting with Nana tonight, and so all seven of us are going to drink until we fall asleep.”

“Lindir is at this very moment having a barrel of Periannath ale carried to our chambers,” said Elrohir, “and we have plenty of Dorwinion wine for anyone who prefers that.”

Rúmil got to his feet, helping Arwen up, and the others followed suit. Privately he thought that an evening of drinking might just help the twins, in particular, get some of the horror they were feeling out of their systems, cushion their shock and help them to sleep soundly enough for their minds to begin to heal from the dreadful things they had seen. 

When they reached the twins’ quarters, they found that Lindir had indeed had a barrel of ale placed upon a sturdy table, and had gathered as many armchairs as could be found, so that there was one for everyone. Elladan, however, dropped into one of the chairs and pulled Elrohir down with him to sit on his lap, and Niphredil ended up curled on Orophin’s lap, leaving Haldir, Rúmil and Arwen to occupy chairs of their own. 

Rúmil took it upon himself to be master of ceremonies, fetching a bottle of wine and cups from the cabinet, and pouring drinks as they were requested.

“Ale for us,” said Elladan with barely a glance at his brother, although Elrohir nodded, and Arwen asked for ale too, though Niphredil asked for wine.

“You must try the ale,” Arwen said to Haldir and Orophin. “It is most strange at first but you must give it a chance.”

“I still remember the look upon Rúmil’s face the first time he tried some,” said Elrohir with a faint laugh. “I think he did not wish to offend us, but I also think he was not overly impressed.”

“Perhaps not,” Rúmil allowed, “but I gave it until the bottom of my cup, as you suggested, and I found that it gets better the more you drink of it.”

“It sounds most promising,” said Haldir, somewhat sarcastically, but he consented to try some, as did Orophin, and Rúmil handed the cups out and watched as his brothers drank, near-identical expressions of bewildered distaste crossing their faces. 

“Give it until the bottom of the cup,” said Rúmil, sitting down with a cup of ale for himself; he had not had the opportunity to drink it since that long-ago sojourn here in Imladris, and he found as soon as he had tasted it that he had missed its strange yet refreshing taste.

Sure enough, when they had finished their ale, Haldir and Orophin held out their cups for more, and Elladan let out a tired little whoop of triumph.

“We told you so,” he said, and clinked his cup against Elrohir’s. 

“I suppose you had a bet upon that,” said Haldir, and the twins laughed, just a little.

“As it happens, we did not,” said Elladan.

“A missed opportunity indeed,” said Elrohir.

“You’ll just have to think of something else,” said Arwen. “But not tonight.”

“Not tonight,” the twins echoed in chorus, and Rúmil got up to refill everyone’s cups.

A great deal of ale was drunk that night, and cups were refilled many times. Gradually the mood lightened, just a little, the pall of worry and despair lifting, even if only temporarily. By some silent consensus they did not speak of the reason for their presence in Imladris, and the conversation ebbed and flowed, touching on many subjects. Rúmil thought that he could see a little of the tension melting away from the twins, from Arwen and Niphredil, and he dared to hope that perhaps, given time, all would indeed be well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Sindarin translations:**  
>  (source: ambar-eldaron.com's dictionary last updated October 2008):
> 
> ŷn-nín: my sons  
> adar: father (formal)  
> nana: mother (informal)  
> mellyn-nín: my friends  
> ellith: female Elves  
> ada: father (informal)  
> periannath: Hobbit
> 
> Thank you for reading! If you're enjoying the story, do feel free to leave a comment and let me know - long or short or a single emoji, every single one absolutely makes my day. :)
> 
> I am [nocompromise-noregrets](https://nocompromise-noregrets.tumblr.com) over on Tumblr, by the way, so if any of you would like to come and find me there I would love to see you.


End file.
